Skimstone Wines

Josh and Kate Clementson took on a rundown vineyard at Apple Tree Flat in 2007, with Josh drawing on years managing vines for Peter Logan and now Huntington Estate to bring it back into shape alongside partners Michael and Anne-Marie Horton. The cellar door is little more than a rustic cabin with a covered tasting bar looking out over the vines and the hills beyond, where visitors work through estate-grown chardonnay, merlot, cabernet blends and a run of Italian varieties — barbera, sangiovese and a sangiovese rosé. Plates draw on the district: charcuterie from Stein Farm, cheese from High Valley, sourdough baked in Mudgee. Guesthouses added more recently sit a short walk from the tasting bar, turning a stop into an overnight stay. Open Thursday to Monday, with Thursday visits by appointment. For anyone working through the Mudgee wine region beyond its bigger names, it's a small, family-run detour off the Castlereagh Highway.